Anti-Catholic Cartoon of the Week: “Erin Go Unum”

This cartoon was circulated from the early 1900’s through the 1920’s, when anti-Catholicism reached a fever pitch in American life. Here an octopus with Pope Leo XIII’s head strangles Lady Liberty with tentacles titled “Insolence,” “Rascality,” “Deceit,” “Tyranny,” “Treachery,” “Bigotry,” “Intolerance,” and “Greed.” The cartoon illustrates the alleged threat that Roman Catholicism, specifically Irish Roman Catholicism, poses to America in general and the public school system in particular. The sign at the bottom reads “Erin Go Unum E Pluribus Bragh.” (Click on the image to enlarge.)